Many wineries today are concerned with the declining number of wine club members. Wineries with smaller case productions especially need to find a way to grow these repeat customers right now – WITHOUT dropping prices. One solution: Build a special club for the younger consumer.
Take that club shipment down a notch for Millennials
With tourist season coming up fast, everyone is going to see younger wine-drinkers walking through their tasting room doors. Unfortunately, many of these 20-30-somethings aren’t the main “target” that wineries are looking at for their wine clubs. Based on past performance, this is not a group that will spend the money on an expensive high-shipment club. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS. Now that we all know how to reach out, relate, and create a relationship with Millennials, use it to your advantage and give them the option of joining your wine club at a level that they are comfortable with. Provide a lighter case shipment option to people 35 and under. If you normally offer your “smallest” club at 3 bottles 3 times a year, bring it down to 2 bottles twice a year.
…you are creating consistent sales to a group that is not a part of your current club – that’s growth.
But how does a business owner prevent current wine club members from opting out of their larger shipments and signing up for this new, less intense version? Limit the club to ONLY young wine drinkers. Your consumers are only eligible for this if they are 35 years of age or younger. This is similar to banks and credit card companies offering special deals to students – the terms are more affordable and the payments are more flexible – but only students are eligible.
By doing this, you are offering a solution to an entire group of people that might not feel comfortable spending hundreds of dollars each year at just one winery. This way you are creating consistent sales to a group that is not a part of your current club – that’s growth. You are also showing this important consumer group that you are putting in the effort to reach out and cater to their situation. Odds are that the businesses that offer this will be the first wine club that many young people will ever belong to. If you can create a life-long customer simply by offering your service on terms they respond to, then you’ve got a good thing going.
Leah Hennessy is a member of the Millennial Generation working in the wine industry. She is the owner of the consulting firm & brokerage, 
The Millennier: Wine + Millennials 
GREAT advice Leah! Katey and I are starting to develop something similar to what your suggesting for when our tasting room opens. We want to have “millenial only” wine tasting events and a club that is specifically catered towards a younger crowd. We love and buy wine too! Thanks for your support.
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This is a wonderful idea. We are a small winery however our Marketing Director is 26 years old and the winemaker and myself are under 40, so we always try to remember that we all want to dring great wine! We are going to go ahead and build this wine club!
Great idea, love your creativity.
How would you handle when the Millennial Club Member begins to add more years. Do you discontinue their Millennial Club membership? Leave as is, is that fair to your regular member who could not be part of this club.
Ana – Thank you – that’s great to hear! I’d love to check in with you to see how everything is going with your brand new club once it’s up and going.
Barbara – Thanks for the kind words. Your question is excellent. You’re 100% right – it wouldn’t be fair to your other members or to YOU to keep people over the age limit as a part of this wine club. Here’s a great way to leverage this group from millennial club members into “regular” members.
Let’s say for example that you have a 34 year old that signs up for your club now. In two years, according to the “rules” of the club, they will no longer be eligible to continue as a member. I recommend that you abide by that. Send an email (or call – personal touch with the wine club as you know is key) letting him or her know that their membership in the millennial club is about to expire and let them know about your other clubs. The idea here is to start building consumers at a spending level that coincides with their place in life. Ideally, once they’ve reached the cutoff age for the club, they will be 1) a loyal consumer of your wines and have a positive experience with your company and 2) they will have reached a new point in their lives where they will have both the resources and the desire to be a part of your other club options.
Don’t let the thought of these members “outgrowing” this kind of club be a drawback – it is actually the goal. By offering them something specific to their needs earlier in their lives, they will be more likely to continue as a “regular” club member once their age/resources increase.
Just a little something to look forward to;)
-L
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I love this idea! I work for a vineyard and we are going to implement this in the coming year. Does anyone know of any wine clubs doing this? I would love if you know of any out there and could pass them a long to me.
Cheers!
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